The usual purpose of paid time off (PTO) from work is to give employees an opportunity to rest, recharge and relax. However, a recent survey has revealed that many members of Generation Z are doing quite the opposite.
Talker Research polled 2,000 Americans across generations between October 25 and 30, questioning them about how they spend their PTO. The results found that only 40 percent of Gen Z respondents use PTO for vacations, significantly lower than the 51 percent of millennials and baby boomers.
Instead, 22 percent of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) reported using PTO to care for relatives, compared with 14 percent of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and 12 percent of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980).
Gen Z also leads in using PTO for child care (21 percent), highlighting their tendency to prioritize family responsibilities over leisure.
To explore these growing responsibilities faced by younger generations, Newsweek spoke with parenting experts Britt Riley and Setu Shah.
The Sandwich Generation
“Millennials are …